Psychology IA Research Question Evaluator
Use the tabs below to generate a new Psychology IA idea or evaluate your current research question.
IA
Compare High-Scoring vs. Flawed Psychology RQs
Below are examples of evaluated RQs from recent Psychology IAs. Review the strengths and weaknesses to understand the scoring criteria, and feel free to evaluate your own RQ using the form above.
What is the effect of one night of partial sleep deprivation on working memory capacity as measured by digit span performance in high-school students?
Strengths:
Clearly identifies a cognitive construct (working memory) and a measurable outcome (digit span).
Weaknesses:
How does Psychology affect things?
Strengths:
Puts psychology as the focal domain by referencing the field in the question.
Weaknesses:
Specify the psychological construct and the outcome you will measure (e.g., replace 'things' with 'working memory capacity on reaction time'). Example: "What is the effect of working memory capacity on reaction time in high school students?"
How does the presence of upbeat versus instrumental background music affect Stroop interference (selective attention) scores in adolescents?
Strengths:
Clear identification of a specific cognitive process (Stroop interference) and a concrete manipulation (music type).
Weaknesses:
What is Psychology?
Strengths:
The statement uses a recognizable psychology term, signaling disciplinary focus.
Weaknesses:
Specify a concrete psychological construct and a related outcome within the question. Before→After: "What is the effect of memory recall on decision-making accuracy in high school students during a brief laboratory task?"
How to Evaluate Your Research Question
Simply choose your subject and enter your research question. Our evaluator will then analyze your question against the IB requirements and return a report with any issues or improvements you can make. Trained on thousands of IB RQs marked by official IB examiners, our evaluator is able to provide accurate and helpful feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the ideas from Clastify's Research Question Generator?
Yes. Our Research Question Generator was trained on thousands of high-scoring IB exemplars, and the ideas it generates are designed to align with IB criteria so you can develop research questions that meet the standards.
How does the Research Question Generator work?
Select your subject and category (IA or EE), optionally enter a few keywords or interests, then click Generate. The AI returns research question ideas tailored to your subject, which you can refine further with the tweak tools.
Do I need to enter keywords to generate research questions?
No. You can leave the keyword field blank for instant inspiration, or add a few words about your interests to get more targeted ideas.
Are AI-generated research questions original enough for IB coursework?
Generated questions are starting points aligned with IB expectations. Similar research questions appear across cohorts—what matters is that your investigation or essay content is your own work.
How does the Research Question Evaluator work?
The Research Question Evaluator was trained on thousands of research questions marked by IB-certified examiners. It evaluates your research question using the same IB criteria, helping you understand its strengths and areas for improvement.
How many free generations do I get?
Free users get a limited number of generations per week. Your limit resets weekly. Upgrade to Pro for higher limits and full access to Clastify AI tools.
How do Psychology EE research questions differ?
EEs rely on secondary research and critical discussion of studies—not a simple experiment title padded to EE length.
What makes a strong Psychology IA research question?
An ethically feasible investigation linked to theory/study, with defined variables and a realistic school method.
What does the Evaluator flag in Psychology?
Unethical designs, vague constructs, impossible methods, or EE prompts that are really IA titles.
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